Latch.



V PATBNTED JUNE 3o; Y190:1.. j H. W. SGHIBRMEYER.

' LATCH.

,PPLIUATION FILED JAN. 2, 1903.

no Ionm..

. @Afimays ""NITED? STATES Patented J' une 30, 1903.

PATENT Dumon.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,450, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed January 2, 1903. Serial No. 157,514. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that L HENRY W. SCHIER- MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Daykin, in the county of Jeerson and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in door and gate latches, and has for its principal object to provide a securing-latch of the most simple and economical construction, consisting of but few parts, and which may be readily applied to any door orgate without the employment of skilled labor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of latch in which a pivoted latch-bar is provided at its opposite ends with engaging bills, both of which are movable to locking position by gravity and which may be employed for the locking of a door or gate in either closed or open position; and a still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of keeper which may be secured to a door-frame for use in connection with doors swinging either to the right or left, thus rendering it unnecessary to employ dierent forms of keepers for diierent classes of doors. l

- A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of latch which will securely hold the gate or door either opened or closed, which will automatically lookin the event of the door being blown to either openv or closed position by the wind, and in which when applied to barn-doors and the like will be strong enough to resist the movements of an animal against the door and lessen the liability of accidental opening by the animal.

W'ith these and other objects in view the invention consistsin the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and

minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit ory sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a door-latch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a keeper which may be placed on the outer wall of the barn or other structure to receive the bill at the outer end of the latch-bar.

The latch-bar l is formed of metal and is provided at an intermediate point with a transversely-disposed pivot-pin 2, the pivot being disposed somewhat nearer the outer end of the latch than the inner end thereof,

so as to throw the greatest weight at the inner end and permit of the closing movement to locking position by gravity, it being observed on reference to Fig. 2 that the inner arm of the latch is both longer and wider 'than the outer arm thereof. The latch-bar is passed through a suitable opening formed in the material of which the door is constructed and is supported by a suitable pivot-plate 4, having an opening for the passage of the latch-bar and provided on its inner face with a transversely-disposed groove 5 to receive the pivotpin. AThis plate may be secured in place by nails, screws, or other securing means and serves to prevent movement of the latch in one direction, while the end thrust in the op. posite direction is resisted by the doorproper.

At the inner end of the latch, or that end which projects through the door into the interior of the barn, is provided a downwardly-extending bill 6, adapted to engage with one or other of the locking portions of a keeper 7, which may be secured to the door-frame.V The keeper is of yoke-like form, provided with oppositely-disposed ears or lugs 9, provided with suitable openings for the passage of securing screws or nails. This keeper has oppositely-facing inclined vwalls 10 of precisely the same construction,

so'that the keeper may be placed in position ona door-frame and employed to engage a latch carried by a door opening either to the right or to the left. The lower inclined face of the bill strikes against the inclined lower portion ofv the keeper as the door is moved to closed position, the latch riding up the inclined portion of the keeper .and thence falling by gravity over the rear edge thereof, so as to tirmly lock the door or gate in position. The engaging portion of the bill is recessed,

IOO

so as to provide for the more intimate engagement of the bill and keeper and lessen the liability of accidental opening by an animal, while the construction is suchas to oiler considerable resistance in case of an animals backing up against the door or gate.

At the outer end of the latch is an upwardly-extending bill 1l of a construction somewhat similar to that already described, and on the outerwall of the barn or ata convenient point on the fence or other structure to which the gate or door is attached is arranged a keeper12,which is preferably formed of metal and provided with suitable openings for the passage of securing means. The keeper projects some little distance from the face of the structure to which it is attached and is provided with an inclined lateral end, up which the billof the latch may ride to then fall beyond lthe edge of the inclined portion and be locked in position.

I am aware that devices of this general class have heretofore been used; but in all of the constructions with which I am familiar it has been thought necessary to employ auxiliary springs for retaining the latch in locked position or in position to automatically engage the catch or keeper. The employment of springs is highly objectionable, owing to the increased cost of manufacture, the time and labor incident to the assemblement of the parts and the placing of the latch in position, and the liability of breaking or rusting of the spring. In a device constructed in accordance with my invention it is not necessary to employ any springs, and in securing the latch in place it is merely necessary to cut a suitable opening in the door and then secure the recessed plate, the mortising of the door for the reception of the plate being unnecessary. The construction of the reversible keeper is advantageous in Iraafio that it permits ready reversal for engagement with either side of the door-jamb, and both of the inclined faces may be active, the

.lower to raise the hook until it has passed beyond the rear edge of the keeper, While the upper serves to depress the hook in the event of the latter being stuck from swelling of the woodwork or from other causes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class specified, a springless gravity-latch, comprising a bar having oppositely-facing bills disposed respectively at its opposite ends, a pivot-pin arranged at a point intermediate of the length of the bar and distant from the center thereof,the longer arm of said bar being wider and heavier than the shorter arm in order to add to the weight of said longer arm, a recessed plate having an opening for the passage of the bar and serving to confine the pivot-pin in place, a reversible keeper comprising a yoke-shaped bar having oppositely-inclined upper and lower Walls to positively engage with one of the bills, one of said inclined faces serving to force the bill downwardly in the event of the latter being held above its normal level, and a second spring-keeper having a forwardlyprojecting portion bent inwardly and downwardly to form an inclined keeper for engaging the bill at the opposite end of the arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY W. SCHIERMEYER. Witnesses: K. L. SHEARON, GEO. WORKMAN. 

